Pussy Riot slams Russia's return to Venice Biennale

"Russia 'decided to create a project in which a multilingual polyphony of cultures will be heard-cultures that do not consider themselves peripheral in relation to the West,' and would not be deprived of 'the right to artistic self-expression.' The programme's title 'The tree is rooted in the sky' comes from the work of the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil."

"Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, cultural 'soft power' has become part of Russia's military doctrine and an instrument of hybrid warfare. The Kremlin has long used culture as a continuation of foreign policy - and as a way to legitimise the regime abroad."

"We remember that in 1934, for example, Hitler and Mussolini enjoyed art together at the Biennale. In 1942 the Biennale was dedicated to military art, while the exhibition catalogue contained not a single mention of World War II. It is nothing new that totalitarian regimes use art to normalise their power."

Russia is participating in the Venice Biennale for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, presenting a project titled "The tree is rooted in the sky" featuring Russian folklore and world music. Putin's cultural envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy stated the project aims to amplify non-Western cultural voices and artistic expression. The pavilion will host a three-day festival from May 5-8, filmed for display in the pavilion. However, the participation has generated significant backlash from dissident groups, particularly Pussy Riot, who characterize it as cultural soft power serving Russia's military doctrine and hybrid warfare strategy. They draw historical parallels to totalitarian regimes using art to legitimize power.

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